This invention relates generally to discharge devices and in particular to discharge devices having a high energy density.
Commonly used prior art devices such as thyratrons, ignitrons, spark gaps, etc., are operated at very high current densities by making use of ionized gases to neutralize the space charge of the electrons flowing from cathode to anode.
In such prior art devices utilizing conventional plasma discharges, positive ions and electrons are introduced as a background gas which is then ionized by various techniques common in the art. The region between the cathode and anode is filled with a plasma comprising low energy electron and ions in which collisions between electrons and ions are an important effect. The electrical current is carried as a conduction current in this plasma.
The plasma reflex discharge apparatus of the present invention differs from these prior art devices in that both the electrons and ions are accelerated into the region between the cathode and anode by the large electric fields used to create a plasma comprising high energy counterstreaming electron and positive ion particles for which particle-particle collisions are not a dominant effect. In the discharge device of the present invention, the source of electrons is at the cathode and the source of ions is at the anode. This combination of multiple reflected electrons and positive ions results in the unique properties of the apparatus of the present invention.